Darts: user applied modifiable body and mechanism/s

Abstract

A toy dart, as a thrown projectile, is created by end-user determinates towards the personalization of various internal embodiments, those values being noted forwardly and aftwardly of a weight/s chamber/s therebetween if the latter is so desired. The primary controlling factor, involving both compressional movement and stabilization, is a cylindrical column that can be called a rubber spring; where, axial and/or to non-axial motion relative to impact controls is a locus constrained by mass/time/length about the focal points thereto. Forwardly, in a partial bore and threadable endcap of the barrel of this dart, that rubber column involves transfer management that eliminates rejection caused by intersectional criteria. Aftwardly, against a similar arc of travel, those attributes are managed so as to eliminate deflection due to the intended dispersion of that arcuate involved lateral/mass iteratives. The areas therebetween, involving either an external grip consideration or an internal weight/s characterization, allow the further definition of personalization for this thrown body. Thus, in either discrete segment usage or merged characteristics, the advantages increase the possibility of scoring capability by ignoring rejection and/or deflectin through the extension of those embodiments.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/305,338, filed Jan. 20, 1999, granted patent status on or about Aug. 3, 2000.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] There have been an extremely large variety of advances made in and for the various games of darts. A dart is a hand held tubular projectile having a point, that is generally designed to be thrown at a target for the purposes of scoring within circularly and radially defined impact areas on the target. A typical dart also includes an attachable shaft carrier aft of and axially oriented to the main body which generally carries guidance vanes, called flights, to help stabilize the trajectory of the thrown dart.

[0003] In most cases, the advances have been applied to an external shape of the dart. Various materials are used to create the barrel or central segment of a dart body, such as wood, brass, various amalgams, or tungsten. Into these materials are formed various shapes or patterns, designed to enhance the user's grip or finger placement. Shapes may include dish-outs for finger placement or knurling.

[0004] Points for darts may be either “soft tip” or “steel tip”. The soft tip is usually of plastic, and designed to be used with an electronic scoring board. The steel tip is a hardened metallic member designed to impact a target of densely packed sissal which can accept the scoring point, so the player can visually establish the value of the thrown dart. A steel tip dart must remain in the target during the player's turn sequence (which may include the throw of multiple darts), to create a score. Both the electronic and sissal target boards include areas of different value separated by thin metal or plastic dividers (sometimes called “spiders”). If a dart directly impacts a divider, it may bounce off the target without sticking or impacting a scoring position. Prior attempts have been made to design darts which will remain in the target even if a divider is struck or, at least, create an impact reference.

[0005] In one approach, the soft tip has been formed from a composite of carbon oriented plastic so as to provide a means of flexion when it strikes the target, thereby reducing the chance of rejection by a divider. In this composite dart tip, it has been shown that if the dart tip is sharpened after deformation created by impact with an impediment, the harmonic signature of the dart is changed.

[0006] Another prior art dart point approach, has been to provide means to allow for axial movement of the point within a forward containment area of the central dart body, with various controls therefor. Several approaches employ a floating point shaft contained in or by a screw-in race, one being a manually applied pinch effect of the taper of the point in an axial bore of the race, where, impact with the target releases the point so as to allow a hammer effect to drive the dart further into the target. Another approach involves an enlarged aftward head on the axial point shaft, either being rounded or drop hammer formed in a manner called peening, with the head being constrained by a screw-in or press fitted race, or obverse axially oriented machining; and, constrained forwardly by manually induced placement, or by annularly placed resilient washers, or O-rings. Other approaches, rather than O-rings, have utilized axial placement of resilient strips in machined grooves to engage the shaft's collar in an attempt to slow the impact moment; whereas, a variation to the O-rings employs radially inwardly projecting fingers that interact with the enlarged collar to control the impact induced moment in the containment cavity. Again, these various structures are employed in a hammering system; but, there is a failure to recognize that this approach, during initial impact with a target or divider, does not allow the linear alignment between the dart's point and body to be altered.

[0007] Further, in several of the latter approaches, the O-rings have been placed in a subtending annular race of that enlarged shaft ending head; or, they have been placed in the orienting insert, within a radially outwardly positioned annular raceway; or, they have been placed, in combination, forwardly of that enlarged head and in the raceway. But, in these darts, it is common to find that substantial wear occurs, as the rotation of the variously placed O-rings are working against a stationary shoulder, thereby limiting the value of the point movement.

[0008] Another approach has been the usage of a spring body surmounted about a shaft positioner so as to provide an axially oriented progressive loading characteristic for impact with a scoring area. However, springs are known to lose temper due to the short compression cycle experienced by the impact of these darts.

[0009] In other darts, the aftward portion of the shaft-ending enlarged head can impact a taper formed cavity ending buttress, this to provide an angular distortion about the body or barrel's axis; a conoid machined shaft that impacts a similarly shaped and obversely positioned conoid body thereaft during impact-induced axial travel, this to provide a non-axial motion when impact with the target's dividers or impediments occurs, particularly in the segments that have the highest scoring value. But, it is known that the use of springs, with their subsequent loss of temper caused by the pico-second impact can and do lose this non-axial movement utility; both coil springs and metal strips which are constrained against lateral outside axis of the load causes direct loss of that ability.

[0010] Also, due to the various construction methods, none of these approaches have the ability to ignore the effects of gravity, which may eliminate their effectiveness, because, when the point is retained in the target board, the body of the dart may be angled downwardly relative to the point, and this body may block subsequent darts thrown toward small areas of high score value.

[0011] One such example is the internal and forward use of a resilient cylinder with an axially formed bore receiver for receipt of a point shaft, with the aftward end thereof being rounded, with the resilient body simply push-inserted into a receiver cavity of the dart, and placement being arrested by the round end of the shaft against a buttress. There are no provisions against the elastomeric cylinder's propensity to return to an unloaded state; distortion created by non-axial movement upon impact with a target would cause the cylinder to actually creep out of this position; this distortion would tear the bore therein.

[0012] Two other approaches employ either a wound spring on the depending shaft of the point, or a flight-carrying shaft; while showing some utility, neither recognizes that heat and/or non-axial loading will cause displacement or breakage of the point. The wound spring, like its rubberoid counterpart, will actually displace itself from the containment cavity upon lateral displacement. The cupped spring with curved end catchments for the flight shaft, or any half-dome with a central hole receiver for that shaft carrier, faces two considerations: any spring, beyond heat loss, will attempt to return to an unloaded state, thereby becoming an impediment that could interfere with the trajectory of subsequent darts; whereas, the fully cupped spring, beyond the increased potential of resistance, actually embodies a buckle effect. In addition, a strip-type spring, like those above, limits the flight-carrying shaft to only two directions of movement, they being along the axis formed by the width thereof.

[0013] Regarding the weights and shapes of darts available, there have been more than one approach. One is an end-threaded shaft that connects the fore and aft ends of the barrel. Various axially-bored pieces of varying density are placed along the shaft to create varying weights and shapes. Stability is improved by an O-ring positioned appropriately.

[0014] Another employs a similar internal shaft, and has a variety of weight beads that are placed thereon by the user, prior to insertion into an internal cavity of the barrel, where stability is derived, again, by an appropriately positioned O-ring.

[0015] Yet another employs various media, in the hammer approach, that are sometimes separated so as to provide a differing method of weight distribution within the internal chamber of the dart.

[0016] Then another employs a simple and fixed addition to the internal chamber, from the aft end, the density of which changes relative to the desired weight; but, whose forwardly positioned end in the tapered receiving bore is employed as a buttress, it affecting the point's reaction to impact of the impediments. Additionally, another approach combines the annular receipt of an O-ring impinging a ball-ended shaft, with that ball impinging upon the forward end created by impact.

[0017] Then, there is the combination of a scoring shaft with a peened or formed head that rests on a ball bearing approach, with the latter impinging on a cylindrical rubberoid member, this direction supposedly allowing incremental movement of the scoring member during impact; but, due to the inability of the rubberoid member to expand laterally during impact transition, this cylindrical member can explode, thereby limiting this implied approach for impact control.

[0018] In all of the above approaches, while showing some utility, none consider the effect of having a forwardly formed cavity which affects the desired forwardly induced weight differentials. Additionally, because of the possibility of loosening, which can cause rattling and distraction; or the fact that the loss of any one piece can eliminate that dart from play, the utility of the prior art are considered minimal at best.

[0019] And, regarding guidance vanes or flights, there have been a variety of attachment variations: there is a polymer shaft, extending radially aftwardly from the central body, generally being threadably attached, and having forward molded receiver slots in an X-format, it receiving a press-insertion of the flights chosen by the player; or, obversely joined V's, the vertice junction creating a slot for that flight member insertion. And, there have been specialized flight-carrying shafts that receive a tripodal vane rather than the four vanes more commonly used for the guidance of the thrown projectile, this approach limiting the impediments involved in trajectory interference.

[0020] Another approach, called SLIKSTIK, employs that shaft but has a slot that is end-bounded that, in turn, receives the “X” flight slipped laterally into and positioned at the aftward end of the slot prior to the player's throw, this allowing forward but non-radial movement created from impact with any subsequently thrown dart. And, after the throw and removal from a target, must be manually moved to the backward station.

[0021] One of the first spinning flights, called DYNA-STAR, employs an aftwardly axial shaft that has an enlarged portion thereon for receipt of a pull-molded spline carrying the flights, that is slip-pressed onto and beyond a pinch created shoulder of that shaft carrier. This will allow radial movement created by an incoming projectile thrown in close proximity to an at-rest dart.

[0022] There are others that are also rotational about the dart axis; but, none recognize that by the time the impact induces any spinning movement, the dart is well past the point of collision therewith. In addition, spinning about that axis can be a detriment; none take into account that the darts thrown have multiple speeds and trajectories.

[0023] In all of the prior art approaches noted, notwithstanding the displayed utility, the attempts have been to provide the player with a dart that will enhance their application of skills and growth in the game of darts. Yet, there are possible advances to the general application of dart design that will enable the particular user to create a more fully personalized involvement with this enjoyable game, thereby furthering the art of the game and the player's approach towards serious enhancement of their skills. 1 REFERENCES CITED: U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 1,783,303 12/30 Oberndorfer 473 586 3,957,271 05/76 Kurtz, et al 473 578 4,181,303 01/80 Sjogen 273/106.5 B; 273/106.5 C 4,230,322 10/80 Bottelsen 273 420 4,457,514 07/84 Paxman 273/420 273/423 4,596,393 06/86 Orav 273 420 4,697,815 10/87 McKenna 273 420 4,958,838 09/90 Farler 273 423 4,978,130 12/90 Farler 273 420 5,009,433 04/91 Reid 473 582 5,118,117 06/92 Denen 473 585 missing xx/93 Kurtz 5,375,850 12/94 Pickett 273 420 5,505,460 04/96 Wolfenden 273/416, 419-420, 273/423 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 2,026,878 02/80 UK Cohen 473 FOR 219 2,153,693A 08/85 UK Ahearne ??? ??? ??? 86,001,878 03/86 PCT Hansen 473 FOR 219 2,228,221 08/90 UK Bottelsen 473 FOR 219 93,021,493 10/93 PCT Wolfenden 473 FOR 219

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The invention employs various embodiments of soft tip and steel tip darts. The darts can be personalized while maintaining the same overall external shape. The darts are designed to greatly reduce or eliminate rejection if the dart hits a divider or other impediment, as well as to have reduced interference with and deflection of subsequently thrown darts to target areas of high value.

[0025] This toy projectile is designed to be thrown at a polymer surface having a plethora of holes, in the electronic game; or at a bound sissal target for receiving the steel tip, in the traditional game. Both types of target usually have scoring areas delineated by radial and circumferential spokes (or “spiders”). An important design consideration for the soft tip dart is that the dart must depress a scoring segment, even if initial contact is with a spider; whereas, steel tip darts require that a thrown dart must remain in the board until removed by the player to score, as any dart that falls out during the turn does not count towards a score in that turn.

[0026] And from the original segmented designs, which employed either a cup-formed rubberoid member mounted to an extended pintle like shaft or spring surmounting a longer extended pintle shaft, both carriers having been published, the transition to a cylindrically formed rubber spring body occurred. It was this dedicated change, allowing lateral expansion of the elastomeric cylinder within the cavity therefor that annotated the claimed positions for dispersal of mass, this being the planned axial and/or skewed lateral axes transition of mass determinates during the changing aspects of inertial vectors transference as shown by a conoid.

[0027] This transition, when coupled to the various weight characteristics that could begin from a static or a generative reference, created darts that were capable of an extremely severe personalization factor; but, the outwardly shape conditions that might employ the consideration called a “thumb-notch or dish-out” could modify the forwardly, central weight chamber into two factions that depend upon the placement thereof, and separate the forward diversity from the aftward diversity, discretely, yet employ those simplified embodiments fore and aft herein.

[0028] The forward segment, established by a pre-tap bore to a specified depth, receives an elastomeric cylinder that has a smaller diameter, thereby allowing lateral expansion created by impact with an impediment. A threadable forecap, having a slide bore receives a shaft with enlarged collar closely fitting said pre-tap bore prior to rotational closure of that ending barrel means; where, closure into the threaded receiver of the barrel end causes contact against the resilient compression member by that enlarged head. Thus, partially loaded by that closure, this silicone derivative of 40 Shore A to 70 Shore A contacts both that enlarged collar and the end buttress formed by a pre-tap bore. And while it is expected that thread-chine considerations would cause tensional closure that would be expected to eliminate loosening, an addition of the known prior art of an O-ring residing on the male thread portion of the end closure and meeting the barrel end would enhance the ability to prevent unwanted rattling at this or any use position. Impact induced forward movement of the completed dart, when the scoring portion of the dart intersects the known impediments (“spiders”) that divide the particular scoring areas into discrete parts, allows the much desired player advantage called “hunting-off-of-the-wire” due to progressive loading of the compressional impact controller, thereby allowing a marginal throw to establish a score from the actions created by contiguous thrust considerations.

[0029] An alternative would employ the known carrier in a somewhat differing use fashion, in that it's internal placement abuts the inwardly radial stop of the forwardly noted barrel closure end in a somewhat larger bore, the carrier diameter being a slide aspect therewithin; where, this mutual surface having a reciprocally subtending forwardly taper to facilitate the elimination of any possible wear that might accrue through the noted distortion experienced while the various impact impediments place stress on the axial slide bore found in that forwardly endcap.

[0030] In an additional alternative, by using a much larger bore diameter, the axial bore is enhanced by a forwardly extended tapered bore from a juncture referenced along the noted reciprocal faces to a position that allows the shaft of the scoring member to become axial in reference when at rest, yet allows both axial and non-axial movement of the completed dart when impacted by any subsequent throw to an area of small incidence, thereby enhancing the scoring capability for the player by reducing any possible resistance during impact with any subsequent arc-thrown projectile, plus, resetting the barrel along the axis after impact for any dart thrown.

[0031] In one case, using a concavedly mirrored buttress wall axially separating a outwardly threaded portion and inwardly extending thinwall body, a vent bore therethrough, and employing a loc-tite insertional aspect into a staged bore receiver of the following chamber, thereby creating one of multiple end closures for the supposed weight chamber of an aftwardly positioned thumb-grip annotation that is considered a fore weighted thrust biased dart; while, with the conditional thumb notch being forward, the dart is considered as having aft weighted thrust bias. This would, in the first case, require an aftwardly opening of the weight chamber locale, whereas the second case would require a forwardly positioned chamber opening, with a simple transference of the body parts attributed to the position of use. Additionally, while being referenced to a generative characterization, it would not be improper to fill either approach fully to reach the maximum possible for such an external design, this due to the positioned separation that is chosen by the player that determines such a grip reference.

[0032] Using the example of the aftwardly placed thrust grip, the weight chamber is a bored tubular tungsten body, of 50/50 to 95/5 in density, and has a minimum of three internal diameters: the columnar use of an elastomeric cylinder abutting at least one cylindrical wall against a shaft with an enlarged head, said shaft residing in a slide bore of an end closure for a barrel; the use of a carrier with multiple bores receiving both the shaft and enlarged collar and capturing one end of the elastomeric cylinder, with continued use of the end-closing slide bore that is utilized for axial movement; and, the multiple tapered bore that allows both axial and non-axial movement during any impact induced moment by the noted carrier. The connective issue against all three values is the use of external threads for the closure means, they being of a metalloid construction consistent with the stated stress and impact considerations already made known; and there are variations within these sets, as displayed in the drawings herefor.

[0033] Again, using the noted aftward thrust reference, the flights carrying portion of this invention employs any and/or all of the forward positions that are applicable, particularly the axial locus of a shaft with enlarged collar working with a slide bore within a closure body and against an elastomeric cylinder abutting said collar and the cylindrical buttress formed by a pre-tap bore that receives a threadable closure. And, it is the radial clearance between the diameters of the bore and rubberoid body that allow radial expansion which facilitate dispersal of the noted collateral kinetics involved with impact; where, the enlarged shoulder is of close fitting means with said pre-tap bore, this to provide an aspect that limits any wear during axial motion in said slide bore by said shaft depending inwardly.

[0034] The weight/s inserts of this invention, having already been established by the generative position of a conditional threaded weight stick with pieces appropriate thereto, shall include another embodiment beyond the ability to slidably fill the accepting chamber: A thinwall tube with one opening, the obverse end possibly having reciprocal chamfers as a centering means outboard of a cup receiver for the receipt of a stabilizing elastomeric cylinder, this body receiving tungsten particulate to a user determined level; a capturing plug body with extended flanges, and a hole therethrough, this having an annular slot on said flanges for receiving an O-ring that eliminates loss of the particulate powder; use of a shaft with enlarged collar intended to be positioned through that axial hole, the shaft having variously spaced annular slot receivers therealong, for use with a circlip that is preceded by an O-ring that prevents the mentioned powder loss; where, the over-all length of this completed weight/s insert continues the duplex annotation of the original invention, as the tensional means provided by the elastomeric cylinder inserted into the cup receiver provides adequate tension upon threadable closure of the chamber. And, while drawn as an incremental loading of the fixed end, an appropriately changed aspect hereto would be the usage of that elastomeric cylinder separating the loading aspects of this carrier, be they used prior to the insertion of a particulate charge or throughout the weight/s bias chamber, thereby establishing an axial lengthening of the conoid dispersal characteristics about the radially displayed wave noted at said impact controlling body.

[0035] While the thumb-notch can be attached to either of the thrust value characteristics made known, or others known in prior art, with one end being the threadable means of closure for the established weight/s chamber, it is very possible that design considerations that pertain to the player's requirements would determine that this embodiment can actually be a separate piece that threadably connects the fore and aft ends of this invention, thereby giving the user one more advantage towards exceptional personalization of their set of three darts.

[0036] Within the simplicity of this invention, which further expands the utility, is the utilization of the forwardly found characteristics in the aftwardly portion of the darts barrel which, in turn, enhances any and all aspects of the flights carrying shaft through impact induced movement that can be axial and then be considered axial and non-axial in aspect, thereby drastically reducing or eliminating any consideration that might arise from deflection caused by close proximal throws to areas of high scoring value. Again, the impact condition is an wave harmonic expressed herein as a conoid projection shown laterally at the impact value means.

[0037] And, while the parent invention can be described as a merge of these and other aspects towards creation of an means of controlling either and/or both rejection and deflection and a possible user determined weight/s distribution from a conditional generator, it is this segmented approach to the invention allowing the utilization of any of the facets of either claimed property to be employed in a singular fashion, thereby enhancing the severe utility of this advancement for the enjoyable game of darts.

[0038] As stipulated by the parent invention, this continuing approach is being directed towards the position of a kit format: The kit would include the various external and internal components required to create a set of three darts, from front to back; where, the choices hereto expand the original utility of “3×7×3” to this: seven to the eighth power to the seventh power value system being defined by individual user preferences, thereby creating a personalization factor towards utility for this encompassing invention well beyond current prior art factors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a prior art soft tip dart received in an electronic scoreboard.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a prior art steel tip dart received in a sissal scoreboard.

[0041] FIGS. 3a and 3b show prior art arrangements for attaching dart flights to a shaft.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows the various darts body or barrel endcaps that this invention utilizes in the mix and match consideration for a kit deployment.

[0043] FIGS. 5a & 5b shows partial cut-away views of the ends of this invention being imposed on FIG. 1, that barrel created from an tungsten amalgam, with the latter setting the basis for the utility of lateral expansion by the impact controller.

[0044] FIG. 6a shows both partial cut-away views of variously assembled possible end component structures, and 6b showing a differing way to use a particulate tungsten powder carrier using a weight/s insert stick being enlarged to correctly show the relationship of the parts and containment control thereby, while 6c broadens the usage of the thumb-notch through being a closure means to both chambers as shown by FIGS. 4 and 6 hereof, thereby furthering the consideration of personalization that the parent works and this invention extension address.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows an expanded view of the impact controlling portion of a dart impacting a “spider” 21, the conoid projection from the rubberoid spring body being compressed, expressed in two dimensions for a toroidal value, thereby showing the lateral dispersal of mass while maintaining contiguous contact during that pico-second characterization.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, this shows a typical dart 10, with a soft tip, comprising a tubular central body or barrel 11 having an aftwardly positioned grip 12 creating a forwardly annotated thrust or weight bias thereby; screw-in scoring tip 13 with a tapered front 14 and larger shaft 15, and screw-in collar 16 threadably joined to the barrel. At the rear of the dart is a screw-in flight-carrying shaft 17, with an X-slot 18 for receiving slide-in flight 19.

[0047] The typical electronic dart board 20 includes a scoring face 22, with areas of different value delineated by boundaries or “spiders” 21. The scoring face includes holes 23 for receiving the dart tip. Impact planes 24 and 25 cooperate with signal plane 26 to record the score. The board is mounted on backing carrier 27.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a typical steel tip dart received in a typical sissal board 28, having the same target impediments 21 noted priorly.

[0049] FIG. 3a shows a flight carrying shaft used in the prior art, comprising a round rod 29 for receiving a press fitted carrier 30 having an X-slot 18 to receive flight 19. FIG. 3b shows that rod 29 may have a wire 31 extending therefrom, the wire having an indent 32 for receiving DYNA-STAR flights.

[0050] FIG. 4, without identifying whether these partial cut-away views are forward or aftward for the barrel end, as the embodiments are cross-relational and determined by the end-user, shows the three shaft assembly's 33 and 34 and 35, comprising a shaft 15 having an enlarged collar 36 for controlled placement: Where, Assy. 33 is the striking member value for the soft-tip arena, Assy. 34 is the flights carrying shaft depending aftwardly from barrel 11, and Assy. 35 is the striking member value for the steel tip arena.

[0051] As the placement/s paths indicate, there is a threadable barrel end closure 37 that has a close fitting slide bore 38 axially therethrough for receiving the determined assy. of 33 or 34 or 35; where, the pre-tap bore 39 incorporates an end-buttress 40 for containment of an impact controller 41, this elastomeric silicone derivative of 40 SHORE A to 70 SHORE A also contacting enlarged collar 36 upon rotational closure of the spun-cast aluminum or machined end-cap 37. Bore 39 of barrel 11 is close fitting to the enlarged collar 36, acting like the axial slide bore previously noted; and, lateral clearance for the impact noted rubberoid spring embodiment allows compressional expansion thereof, without any necessity of an axial locator due to the length of same versus the diameter applied in said bore.

[0052] Endcap 42, in a differing approach, employs a carrier 43 of injection molded delrin polymer for the noted depending shaft 15 values utilized hereby, said assy's. extending through a close fitting bore 44 and engaging a click slot-keeper found in the parent application, the enlarged collar 36 fitting into staged bore 45 of this carrier, and elastomeric cylinder 41 fitting into a larger staged bore 46 of said carrier. Note that carrier 43 has an outwardly subtending slope 47, which has a reciprocal nesting shape 49 that furthers axial alignment, and an inwardly subtending slope 48; where, rotational closure of endcap 42 into body 11 slightly compresses the resilient member 41 that is found in the completed carrier 43 assy. as it contacts buttress wall 40 of a different pre-tap bore 39 diameter, thereby providing a tensional closure means considered a finger tight approach. The larger bore 39 allows a higher expansion value for the resilient cylinder 41 during impact considerations, with the diameter hereof being a slide bore in relationship to that molded carrier 43 during axial travel derived from impact.

[0053] Endcap 50 continues to use that carrier 43 and resilient column 41 abutting a cylindrical wall 40; where, an enlarged nesting receiver 51 continues that axial alignment, whereas a tapered axial bore 52 between forward opening 38 and said nest embodiment 51 allows non-axial movement of carrier 43 when impact considerations compress the rubberoid member 41, within the confines determined by the much larger body 11 end bore 39 and the tapered limiter 52 acting against shaft 15 of assy's. 33 or 34 or 35 against this differing use of carrier 43 during impact induced axial to non-axial movement of the completed dart 10 of this invention.

[0054] Barrel end 54 employs a differingly machined or formed thread bearer 55, from stainless steel or mild steel or brass, being loc-tite received in staged bores 56/57, and incorporates a mirrored cylindrical buttress 58, an axial throughbore vent 59 connecting expansion chamber 39 to the weight/s receiving chamber 60; where, the end closure characteristics are shown by endcap 50, yet, any of the endcaps in FIG. 4 or from the parent invention's attributes are applicable to this stipulated extension for darts as defined by the end-user under the “kit format”.

[0055] FIG. 5a, without indicating which is the forward end containing the striking member attributes, shows the simplified version of endcap 37 for incorporating this invention's values at both ends of barrel 10; the grip positioner 12 that will establish either a fore or aft thrust bias created by the end-user determination; and, an enlarged view 5b of the resilient impact controller 41 portion of this invention. In two dimensional format, 5b shows a spheroid 61 centered about resilient body 41, and a conoid projection 62 that will establish the factors of toroidal genesis created by impact considerations that allow body 41 to become oblate within the confines of bore 39, a condition that allows non-axial dispersal of the mass attributes while continuing the point/s 14 contact that ignores impediments such as “spiders” 21 or a completed dart 10 thrown in a close proximal value, thereby increasing the opportunities for scoring in areas of small incidence, with this being known by the prior art term: “hunting-off-of-the-wire”.

[0056] FIG. 6a, continuing the non-determination of a striking member 14 for barrel 11, employs endcaps 50 and 42 working with the appropriate components of carrier 43 and impact controller 41; but, the transection of grip 12 allows the bore creation of weight/s chamber 60, ending in an internal buttress wall 63 inwardly of expansion chamber 39, thereby allowing an insertion of a differing weight/s stick 64 having a press fitted enlarged collar end 36 that will abut a rubber spring stabilizer 41 upon rotational closure of the end threaded 66 variant grip position 12 into a thread bearer insert 65, it being loc-tite received into staged bores 60/67 at the end of that weight/s chamber. Radially adjacent to those external threads is a cup receiver 45 for press fit insertion of that rubberoid member 41, it contacting that differing enlarged collar 36 of weight/s stick 64 when inserted into a spun cast aluminum tube 68; where, this stick utilizes a series of annular slots 69 spaced along that shaft for receiving a circlip 70, intended to compress a rubberoid washer 71 against the internal face of a closure body 72, this end closure means having an outwardly placed O-ring 73 that prevents loss of the employed tungsten powder 74 that tubular carrier 68 captures therewithin. And note the multiple use of varying widths of separator's 75, of generally 40 SHORE A rubber that closely surmounts stick 64, which are incrementally inserted onto stick 64 prior to press fitment of that enlarged collar end 36, they being utilized to separate the various charges of tungsten particulate, thereby allowing the end-user to determine not only the final weight of the finished dart but establish the personalized distribution of same in that carrier 68 of barrel 11 of this invention. Further, take note that the weight/s insert is duplexedly insertable, thereby allowing the completed carrier 68 to establish either a fore or aft weighted condition of barrel 11 without changing the actual charges 74 or locus considerations for partitions 75 that define said tungsten powder placements by the simple act of reversing the insertional end. FIG. 6c, given that the thumb-notch's overall shape being defined by the end-user, can be applied to either or both internal ends of barrel 11 against any possible use of axially reciprocal chambers, thereby furthering the utility towards the severe personalization that this projectile in the game of darts can establish.

[0057] FIG. 7, being a partial cut-away of the forward actional end of this invention that shows the impact of scoring portion 14 of assy. 35 that references a steel tip dart intersecting “spiders” 21 sissal style board, displays in two dimensional format the reasoning for the utilization of a resilient rubber spring 41, which is consistent with the parent invention. While carrier 43 hereof is a merge of facets from said works; it employs not only the limiter facets of end-opening 38 that is consistent with a slide-bore aspect like shown at the ends of FIG. 4 and FIGS. 5 and 6, but the enlarged bore that creates expansion chamber 39 and the forwardly subtending taper shown as 52 for endcap 50 of this invention.

[0058] While FIG. 5b displays a conoid projection 62 as being a toroidal extension from the center of mass for elastomeric cylinder 41, resulting in the distortion of spheroid 61 into an oblate configuration for resilient spring body 41 when impact compression occurs, this resultant from the axial constraints created by slide bore 38 and the miminal clearance facets of expansion chamber 39, FIG. 7 displays two divergent centers of non-axial mass occurring from said impact.

[0059] Radian 76 is relational to the axis of shaft 15, while radian 77 is relational to the axis and length of barrel 11 of this invention, with both being considered mass iteratives relative to the speed and arc of the thrown projectile during the pico-second of activity; whereas, skewed locus 78, being the separation between the two active centripetal characterizations of 76 and 77, can be categorized as a wave harmonic at the surface of spheroid 62 shown in FIG. 5b, and was noted as an “arc-of-incidence” in the parent works. It is this ability to separate distortional values, along differing mass considerations during the management established by the cylindrical rubber spring 41 of this invention, that creates the stipulated “hunting-off-of-the-wire” that every darts player desires.

[0060] And while this portrayal involves the steel tip approach, and is cross-relational to the soft tip arena of darts, it also can be directly applied to the back end of this darts invention at the stipulated factor of not less than a “power of seven” without any loss of capability, thereby furthering the utility inherent with the utilization of a cylindrical spring member created from a silicone derivative of 40 SHORE A to 70 SHORE A, as axial and/or to non-axial distortion is what this invention manages in a simplified format that the end-use can manipulate in a “mix and match” value from a kit format; where, only a few of the possible variations have been illustrated herein. This will provide a player with the ability to build highly customizable darts which have a reduced tendency for target rejection, and reduced deflection of subsequently thrown darts. This is considere an advantage not possible with prior art dart constructions. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the illustrations and examples in the specification, but only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A dart, comprising:

a tubular body having at least one thread receiving bore at an end;

a continued pretap bore thereof producing a cylindrical buttress;

a screw-in endcap having an axial slide bore therethrough;

for receiving a shaft with an inwardly oriented enlarged collar sliding in that pretap bore, adapted so as to abut that endcap;

an elastomeric cylinder biased so as to provide tension against that enlarged collar when abutting the end of the pretap bore upon rotational closure of that endcap;

the pretap bore diameter being greater than the elastomeric cylinder diameter so as to allow lateral expansion along an axial bias;

that lateral expansion created by impact due to game considerations, thereby allowing the outwardly shaft and inwardly enlarged collar to slide axially from their respective at rest positions;

and a radially subtending grip value biasing a forward section against an aftward section of the body of the dart.